Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to containers including a receptacle and a lid associated therewith, in general, and to such a container wherein removal and/or attempted removal, of the lid from the receptacle provides evidence thereof, in particular.
There are many types of containers known in the art. These vary from boxes to bags to cups with lids and the like.
The containers can be fabricated of virtually any material such as paper, wood and plastic. The plastic devices can be fabricated any number of ways including being thermoformed. Thermoformed plastic containers are generally inexpensive and easy to produce.
In the current day and age, containers are used to store many types of devices for later use and/or sale. Containers can incorporate, among other things, foodstuffs, medicine or the like. Of course, virtually any type of product can be stored in containers with lids.
Unfortunately, in the current day and age it is also a frequent occurrence that containers are tampered with by persons who wish to tamper with the goods or products which are stored in the packages. These attacks on the products have various and sundry effects. For example, the contents of the package or container can be pilfered or contaminated. Pilferage can be a nusiance; contamination can be fatal.
In taking steps to avoid this invasion of the container, many approaches in the nature of security and/or safety have been utilized. Some of these security attempts have been easily circumvented by the persistent person who wishes invade the container and/or its contents. Some of the security measures have been so cumbersome as to make the container virtually useless. Other security measures have been terribly expensive and indirectly driven up the price of the goods contained in the container.
In addition, many of the security attempts have been unsuccessful in that it is not fully evident that the security of the container has been breached. One of the desirable features of security packaging is to have a package which is very secure so as to be considered "tamper proof". Also important is the characteristic that any tampering with the package produces a "tamper evident" condition. With a "tamper evident" condition, a consumer can, with almost casual visual observation, detect that the container has been tampered with even though the "tamper proof" aspects thereof have not been breached.
Consequently, it is highly desirable to produce a package which is relatively inexpensive, easy to produce and is substantially tamper proof and incorporates the characteristics that any tampering is evident to the consumer.